Maharashtra rain: Schools shut, hundreds stranded as heavy rain batters Palghar
Heavy overnight rain battered Maharashtra’s Palghar district, flooding several towns and villages, leaving many people stranded and pushing authorities to step up rescue operations, officials
Heavy overnight rain battered Maharashtra’s Palghar district, flooding several towns and villages, leaving many people stranded and pushing authorities to step up rescue operations, officials said on Thursday. A person was also found dead in a nullah, though the identity of the deceased has not yet been established. With the situation worsening, the district administration closed all educational institutions in Palghar for Thursday and asked the state government for an additional Disaster Response Force team. Read Full Story In neighbouring Thane district, heavy rain led to several incidents of tree falls, damaging some vehicles and houses, though no casualties were reported. Palghar District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar said Dahanu and Talasari talukas were the worst hit, with heavy flooding in Dahanu town and several hamlets in Talasari, where hundreds of residents have been marooned.
“One NDRF team is already deployed in the district and is engaged in rescue operations. We have sought another team to strengthen the ongoing efforts,” she said. Jakhar said, “A massive rescue and relief operation has been launched. The situation remains precarious in several areas.” She added that in many flooded localities, residents had moved to upper floors for safety. “In some places, people are stranded on the first floor of their homes. They can be evacuated only after the water level recedes,” she said, noting that even NDRF personnel were finding it difficult to reach affected areas because of strong currents and extensive flooding. Palghar Disaster Management Cell chief Vivekanand Kadam told PTI that Dahanu and Talasari talukas were virtually cut off because of incessant rain.
Several roads in parts of the district, including Masvan and Saravali, were submerged, affecting vehicular movement, he said. “Our rescue teams are in the field to evacuate stranded residents. Food packets can be supplied to those marooned only after the floodwaters recede sufficiently to allow access,” Kadam said. Jakhar said there had been “no major untoward incident so far”, but many people remained stranded at different places and the immediate priority was to rescue them safely. In Thane, an official from the district disaster control room said tree falls were reported at several places after heavy rain, damaging a few vehicles and houses. Thane city received 99.32 mm of rain in the 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday.
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